Michigan

Lions could hire new head coach this week

Unlike last week, when the Lions could interview head coaches but not offer them jobs, that situation is completely different this week.

When assistant coaches are still involved in the playoffs, teams are allowed to interview them but not offer them a contract. This week, though, three of the Lions' targets were bounced from the playoffs and that means the Lions could offer them jobs immediately.

The Lions interviewed Steve Spagnuolo (Giants defensive coordinator) and Jim Schwartz (Titans defensive coordinator) last week. Both the Giants and Titans are hosting second-round playoff games this week and both of those clubs are worthy of making it to the Super Bowl.

With several other teams looking for head coaches and some also interested in Spagnuolo and Schwartz, the Lions could be faced with a dilemma. The Lions could opt to move on a solid candidate now or wait a week (or two or four) and try to land Spagnuolo or Schwartz. The problem is that, by waiting, the Lions could possibly miss out on the top two or three candidates they had targeted.

The Lions would prefer to go through a first round of interviews and then have a second series of interviews with two or three finalists before making their final decision. The situation might not afford them that luxury because their "finalists'' might get offered jobs before that second round of talks.

And waiting for Spagnuolo or Schwartz could be a dicey business.

The Lions have to understand their place in this process. They've already let it be known that they're not going to throw a ton of money at a new head coach - or give him significant influence in personnel. Also, with the possible exception of the St. Louis Rams, the Lions' roster is the worst of all the teams looking for head coaches.

The Lions have to understand that while head coach candidates are being interviewed, the candidates are doing some shopping of their own.

Lions president Tom Lewand and general manager Martin Mayhew are in a high stakes poker game with everyone at the table trying to get the best head coach possible. The problem is that the Lions are playing one of the weakest hands and everybody at the table knows it. The first test for Lewand and Mayhew isn't just hiring a head coach, it's making the right maneuvers to get the guy that other teams might want, too - and not just ending up with table scraps.